To join a team or committee, you'll first attend one of our volunteer orientations (sign up here!), where you'll learn how to best use and help take care of the site. After your orientation, you’ll fill out an online form checking off your interests. You will also be able to access the site independently of events at this point. Orientations happen twice a month, in season, and last about an hour. Orientations are also available if you’d like to host an event onsite or lead a work-day.
If you’ve already taken an orientation, simply contact the name listed for each committee or team to join up!
Interested in becoming a Volunteer?
Volunteer Orientations run from March to October!
They are held second Saturday and fourth Monday of the month at the Growing Center.
Follow this link to learn more!
Growing Center Committees & Teams
Our teams and committees promote and support programs hosted onsite,
maintain discrete parts of the site, raise money and do community outreach.
Others promote and support programs. We also have special projects related
to the Growing Center’s history and future.
Teams fall under different Committee “umbrellas.” Although not required, we
encourage volunteers to join one or more teams. You can make a significant
impact on this unique community site!
Site Committee:
Committee & Teams Contact: Bethany, volunteer@thegrowingcenter.org
Teams Include: Watering Angels; Garden Team; Compost Team; Snow Team; Hosting Team
The Site Committee helps coordinate the energies needed to maintain the site to meet the wide range of human uses, in addition to the ecological functions.
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Watering Angels assist weekly with watering and other garden tasks May to Sept.
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The Garden Team plants and tends the annual garden beds and containers, as well as perennial areas of the Center. There are Garden Team Work Days two to three times per month.
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The Compost Team ensures that the composting system is kept in good running order and creates finished compost to use on site to revitalize soils.
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The Snow Team helps clear snow in the winter so that Open Hours and children's groups can continue to visit the site in all weather.
The Hosting Team serves both on-site and off-site functions throughout the year.
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ON-SITE: Hosts working on-site as site contacts and greeters, both during Open Hours and as Event Hosts during public programs at the Center. They make sure everyone is comfortable, safe, able to participate, and ensure that visitors leave knowing about the Center’s other opportunities.
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OFF-SITE: The Hosting Team members, together with Growing Center Board Members, table on behalf of the Growing Center at various public events and festivals around Somerville to promote the garden, drum up interest for new volunteers and gain new sign-ups for our email list. We especially welcome language and cultural connections! Off-site events where we typically have a table include the Somerville Arts Council’s Carnaval in June; various springtime events run by Groundwork Somerville; the Union Square Farmers Market; and Tufts Community Day, among others.
Finance & Fundraising Committees:
Committee & Teams Contact: Sarah, sarah@thegrowingcenter.org
Teams Include: Salvage Sale Team; Fundraising Sales Team
The Finance & Fundraising Committees coordinate the raising of funds to cover basic operating costs through sales, direct support and grants, and assists our Treasurer with accounting and record keeping.
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The Salvage Sale Team helps plan and run our annual Seasonal Salvage Sale & Makers’ Market every fall.
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The Fundraising Sales Team helps with annual sales including our Wreath Project (Oct-Dec) and Seed Sale (Jan-March).
Communications Committee:
Committee & Teams Contact: Betsy, betsy@thegrowingcenter.org
Teams Include: Social Media Team; Writing Team; Flyering Team
The Communications Committee helps get out the word about Growing Center events and resources to the wider community.
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The Social Media Team works together with staff and volunteers to keep our social media accounts active
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The Writing Team writes blog posts for the news section of our website to better communicate to the broader community about the events and projects of the Growing Center
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The Flyering Team goes out four to five times per season (about once a month) and posts flyers around various assigned neighborhoods and businesses
Cultural and Educational Programs Committee:
Committee & Teams Contact: Lisa, lisa@thegrowingcenter.org
Teams Include: Programs Outreach Team; Maple Project Team
This committee helps guide and carry out educational and cultural events in keeping with the mission of the Growing Center.
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The Maple Project Team work together from December through March on the planning and execution of the Annual Maple Boil, a decades-long tradition that began at the Growing Center in 2000 and continues today to include both private and public components.
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The Festa Junina Team work together starting in the winter to plan and execute the Festa Junina (Brazilian Harvest Festival), which takes place in mid-June. This involves prepping craft activities and running related dance and art workshops in the weeks leading up to the festival.
Growing Center Initiatives
Children in Nature Initiative:
Committee Contact: Paula, paula@thegrowingcenter.org
Started in 2010, the Children in Nature Initiative is designed to increase the opportunities for children to have a direct learning experience in nature, while at the same time beginning to access the rich cultural diversity of Somerville. The CINI Committee has applied for and received grant funding for a variety of initiatives, from distributing nature reading kits, seedlings and bucket gardens, to training various early childhood educational partners as nature educators for their students. Read more about the CINI Committees many projects here, here and here.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI):
Contact: Paula, paula@thegrowingcenter.org
The Growing Center is a place for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to gather, learn, and celebrate in nature. Through our DEI Initiative, we commit to offering a welcoming, accessible, and thriving community space. We are always looking for opportunities to increase capacity and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially while aligning with our current Strategic Planning work, ever evolving to serve the changing landscape of Somerville residents.
Strategic Planning Committee:
Committee Contact: Lisa, lisa@thegrowingcenter.org
Strategic Planning Committee members are both new and long-time volunteers interested in a year-long opportunity to bring a strategic plan for the Growing Center to life. As part of this experience, you can expect to collaborate with board members, partners and community members to design the vision for the plan, and get to make a lasting impact on the future of the Growing Center, and by extension, the Somerville community that benefits from this beautiful space. Read more about this initiative here.
